


Screaming in the dark

by JaceRMontague



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Fluff, though not really because their neighbours
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 05:11:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9704528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaceRMontague/pseuds/JaceRMontague
Summary: aka: the story of them.alternatively; Regina is woken up by her blonde neighbour screaming in the park opposite the house and wants to know what on earth is going on.My pseud has changed: PREVIOUSLY SOAC





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had to take a break from writing to catch up with college, but now I'm all caught up and have a break from college so I can write some more for you :)
> 
> This will have a second part, going up at some point or another (hopefully).
> 
> I hope you like this.

The comforter was kicked to the floor before it was stepped on, Regina bouncing on the balls of her feet with the chill of the air around her, she pulled her robe around her and slid her feet into the pair of satin slippers she kept under her bed. She pushed the brunette waves out of her eyes and pulled it into a loose pony tail on the top of her head.

Deciding that she would pick the comforter back up when she returned to her bed she left her bedroom and walked towards the large window in her longue, hunting for the sound that had woken her up.

She searched high and low and found nothing that could have made the noise. She convinced herself that she had imagined it and began to head back towards her bedroom when it happened again. The noise. She rushed back to the window to see what was going on and saw the blonde who lived in the apartment next door standing in the park on the opposite side of the road, screaming. The blonde was lit only by the street light on the sidewalk on the other side of the gate that surrounded the park.

The blonde was still in the black button up shirt, skinny black jeans, and black trainers that Regina was used to seeing her in whenever the blonde raced past on the stairs or in the hallway, the brunette was certain that the blonde was only just returning home from work; or at the very least, had been before she had ended up standing in the park screaming.

Regina wasn’t sure what the woman’s name was but was captivated by her neighbour all the same. She’d been trying to figure out what perfume the blonde wore for the last three weeks when the blonde had flown past her on the stairs, in a rush.

The screaming stopped and then started once more, the blonde almost doubled over as she screamed once more.

Regina shrugged out of the robe and pulled her jacket on instead, switching the slippers for the running trainers she kept by the front door.

She grabbed her keys and phone from their places on the coffee table and left her apartment, taking the elevator down the six flights and then crossing the road to where the blonde was still screaming. Her arms were outstretched and her head was tilted backwards as the blonde screamed at the sky.

Regina waited until the blonde had stopped screaming before making her presence known.

“Why are you screaming?” She asked before the blonde could start again.

The blonde startled a little, visibly deflating as she breathed out the air she had just drawn in to scream once more.

“Oh. You know. Recreationally.” She answered, looking down, scuffing the toe of one of her converse against the dry mud.

“Why are you screaming recreationally?” Regina asked.

“Stress relief” The blonde shrugged.

“Screaming at one am, in the freezing cold is stress relief?”

“Sure”

“What’re you stressed about –” Regina trailed off, remembering that she didn’t actually know the blondes name.

“Emma.” The blonde supplied, still looking at the ground.

“Emma.” Regina repeated softly, stepping closer. “I’m Regina. What’re you stressed about?”

“Work. And  I think I’ve left my keys in my locker at work. Honestly a build-up of things. You don’t want to know, you don’t even know me.” Emma muttered.

“Right. I can’t help with it all but I can help you with the key thing. In a way, at least. If you can’t get your keys right now, you can sleep in my guest room for the night.”

“I couldn’t-” Emma started before being interrupted by Regina.

“Listen, you can come inside and sleep in my guest room or you can stand out here for the rest of the night but I swear if you start screaming again I’ll call the police for public disturbance.” Regina deadpanned.

Emma laughed at this, still not moving to meet Regina’s eyes.

“Okay, okay. I’ll come with you but you’ll have to let me pay you back. Let me buy you coffee - or something stronger – at some point.”

“That sounds good enough to me.” Regina concurred, leading the way across the street and back into the building, sighing in relief at being back in the warmth.

The two travelled in silence as they crossed the street and stood in the elevator. As it approached the fifth-floor Regina decided to break the silence.

“So, bad day at work?” she asked, wishing Emma would just look up, meet her eyes.

“Yeah, smashed a few bottles because I wasn’t focused on them.”

“you’re a mixologist?”

“Yeah. It’s a good job, real good pay for what it is. Just an off day.”

“How come you weren’t focused on the bottles?” Regina asked as the elevator opened and she stepped out, Emma following. “You can tell me to stop asking questions, you don’t owe me your life story just because I’m offering you a place to stay.” She continued as they walked side by side down the corridor.

“Don’t worry about it.” Emma answered. “A foster brother from years ago, showed up in the bar and just caught me off-guard-” She paused as Regina opened her apartment door and led the way into her apartment. Emma was taken aback by the differences in this apartment and hers. They were separated only by a wall, but the apartment she was currently in was beautifully furnished with expensive furniture. Emma’s was furnished in second, sometimes third, hand furniture. Hers was sparse and had the basics in. The major difference was that Regina’s apartment looked _lived_ in. Emma’s looked messy and was closer to a dumping site than it was a home. Regina’s was homely and cosy. As Emma sat down on Regina’s sofa she spotted a dummy and a plastic teething toy on the coffee table caught the corner of Emma’s eye.

“Baby toys?” Emma asked as Regina locked the door behind themselves and set her keys on the coffee table.

“My godson dropped them earlier. I was babysitting for my best friend this afternoon.” Regina said with a smile, remembering the cheeky grin of Kathryn’s son.

“That’s sweet.” Emma said softly.

“Yeah, he’s a darling.” Regina replied.

Emma looked up at the warmth in Regina’s voice, meeting the brunette’s eyes for the first time.

Regina wasn’t sure where her thoughts were wondering but her mind fell silent when she met Emma’s eyes and she met the most stunning, beautiful pair of emerald eyes she had ever seen. It took a moment for her head to engage once more.

“So, screaming in the park?” Regina asked as she sat in the armchair parallel to the sofa Emma had sat on.

“Yeah. A habit. Started when I was a teenager. A friend brought me out for a drive after a bad day in school and stopped at some park and told me to scream. It’s cathartic. I recommend it.” Emma said with a smirk.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Regina quipped.

“You should.”

They lapsed into silence, looking at one another, wondering what to say next. This time it was Emma who broke the silence.

“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about today. It was a bust.” Emma sighed.

“That’s okay.” Regina replied, leaning back into the chair, exhausted but not quite ready to leave Emma’s company.

Emma could tell by a glance at the stunning brunette sat opposite that she was tired.

“That coffee I said I’d owe you for this?” Emma started, continuing when Regina nodded. “How about we make it breakfast in the morning? I mean, I’ll need to swing by work to grab my keys and wallet but we could get breakfast if you’d like. I know this amazing little place a few miles out, their apple pancakes are to die for.”

“That sounds wonderful” Regina said with a smile.

“Good.” Emma said.

A few more minutes passed, each wanted to talk, to listen to the other but both were too tired to do anything other than sit.

Neither remembered falling asleep in their seats, still facing one another, pleased to have the company of someone, even if it was someone they didn’t know very well.

But both would remember the joy the next morning when the alarm on Regina’s phone she had forgotten to turn off blasted through the apartment, startling them both enough that they both landed on the floor causing the other to burst out laughing despite the bruises already forming on hips and legs and arms.

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to go up last night but my computer threw a fit about it and wouldn't let me. (most of which you can see on snapchat at inamusicalabyss. Whilst on the topic of social media I made a new twitter for my writing which is @JRMWriting)
> 
> I hope you like this silly little story.


End file.
